combining to push the tides higher and prompt this warning from officials around tampa. we have some rivers that are set to crest to pretty high. might look sunny. might be the calm after the storm. the winds and rains have subsided. that surge is delayed. just look at this dramatic video from cedar key early this morning. a resident there calling it almost apocalyptic. a bed and breakfast flattened with some condos almost fully sub merg submerged in water. massive wind gusts knocking out this billboard close to where our own nbc s gabe gutierrez was reporting. wind gusts, i m told, are over 100 miles an hour. we are really feeling the brunt of this storm. good day, everyone. i m andrea mitchell in washington. following the destructive path of hurricane idalia. the eighth major hurricane to make landfall in the u.s. in six years. take a look at the stunning view of idalia from space courtesy of nasa. we are expecting florida governor ron desantis to give an update in a
then the landfall about 20 miles farther west than it was forecast to be. the cone shifted about 20 miles farther to the west, closer to tallahassee, making significantly more wind damage there as you shift that cone farther and farther to the left. something else i ve noticed there, seeing lightning now around the eye. that means the storms are getting stronger, getting bigger around the eye itself which means the storm is not losing strength. in fact, it s going the other way. when you see lightning in the eye, it s getting stronger. wind gusts around 30. sarasota, every time you see one of these cells head over your home, that s when the wind is going to pick up. the cell goes by and the wind will be gone. what the deal is with this whole storm is as it moves up into this big bend area, that s where the catcher s mitt effect is going to happen and we ll see all that water get caught with the storm surge that. surge is going to be 15 feet high. if you re on land and right t
trump and the other 17 co-defendants. in washington, d.c. the judge there set a trial date of march 4th, 2024 for the special counsel s investigation into the alleged plot to overturn the 2020 election nationwide. that trial date is one day before super tuesday, the height of the 2024 presidential campaign theoretically. our reporters and legal experts are here to break down every single detail of today s developments. we ll start with more breaking news. just moments ago we got an update on idalia, the tropical storm currently building in the gulf of mexico and barreling towards florida. evacuation orders have already been issued along florida s west coast. idalia is on track to be a major hurricane when it makes landfall. let s get right to cnn s meteorologist chad myers. chad, what is in the latest forecast? a top speed of 130 miles per hour now, up from 125 at the 11:00 a.m. advisory. more time in the water, very, very warm water and an awful lot of watches and warnings
be stronger gusts and it s expected to intensify to a potentially category 3 hurricane before making land fall in florida tomorrow, where millions are already under hurricane and storm surge warnings. right now, western cuba is feeling the brunt of the storm. then the track, idalia in florida s big bend. but, this is a very important reminder a small shift in the track could put that population center more at risk. sara arrived in florida a few hours ago. some parts of florida will see and feel the impact soon. what are you seeing on the ground now? reporter: look, like every other hurricane, it is calm before the storm, but this is when people are being told to evacuate in ten counties. and preparations are under way as idalia, who started out as a tropical storm and is now a hurricane, it is expected to grow and grow and grow to a major hurricane, a category 3 hurricane. right now listen to what people are doing as they try to get out of the way of a high storm surge and
proceedings to begin on march 4th, 2024, on the eve of the critical super tuesday presidential contest. breaking news, new video of the jacksonville gunman entering the store where he unleashed his deadly racist rampage. we re also learning more about his past before he opened fire with a swastika emblazoned assault rifle. welcome to our viewers here in the united states in the united states and all around the world. wolf blitzer is off tonight. i m alex marquardt. you re in the situation room. we begin with a very significant day in two of the criminal cases against donald trump. first, in georgia where former trump white house chief of staff mark meadows took the stand today. the hearing amounting to a sort of mini trial of the election interference trial against trump and his 18 co-defendants. cnn s sara murray has all the details. reporter: that s right. we got a look at fani willis case and how she may question witnesses. former white house chief of staff mark m